Yukon River Run - Netflix

In the Alaskan wilderness, three crews head out on the journey of a
lifetime. They build giant log rafts, which serve not only as their
vehicles, but their homes as they prepare to float down the mighty Yukon
River. Their mission? To sell firewood and supplies to remote villages
downriver. But with the winter freeze fast approaching, it will take all
of their skill and courage to cash in, and make it out alive.

Type: Reality

Languages: English

Status: Running

Runtime: 60 minutes

Premier: 2015-07-20

Yukon River Run - Yukon Quest - Netflix

The Yukon Quest 1,000-mile International Sled Dog Race, or simply Yukon
Quest, is a sled dog race run every February between Fairbanks, Alaska,
and Whitehorse, Yukon. Because of the harsh winter conditions, difficult
trail, and the limited support that competitors are allowed, it is
considered the “most difficult sled dog race in the world”, or even the
“toughest race in the world”. In the competition, first run in 1984, a
dog team leader (called a musher) and a team of 6 to 14 dogs race for 10
to 20 days. The course follows the route of the historic 1890s Klondike
Gold Rush, mail delivery, and transportation routes between Fairbanks,
Dawson City, and Whitehorse. Mushers pack up to 250 pounds (113 kg) of
equipment and provisions for themselves and their dogs to survive
between checkpoints. They are permitted to leave dogs at checkpoints and
dog drops, but not to replace them. Sleds may not be replaced (without
penalty) and mushers cannot accept help from non-racers except at Dawson
City, the halfway mark. Ten checkpoints and four dog drops, some more
than 200 miles (322 km) apart, lie along the trail. Veterinarians are
present at each to ensure the health and welfare of the dogs, give
advice, and provide veterinary care for dropped dogs; together with the
race marshal or a race judge, they may remove a dog or team from the
race for medical or other reasons. The route runs on frozen rivers, over
four mountain ranges, and through isolated northern villages. Racers
cover 1,016 miles (1,635 km) or more. Temperatures commonly drop as low
as −60 °F (−51 °C), and winds can reach 50 miles per hour (80 km/h) at
higher elevations. Sonny Lindner won the inaugural race in 1984 from a
field of 26 teams. The fastest run took place in 2010, when Hans Gatt
finished after 9 days and 26 minutes. The 2012 competition had the
closest one-two finish, as Hugh Neff beat Allen Moore by twenty-six
seconds. In 2005, Lance Mackey became the first Yukon Quest rookie to
win the race, a feat that was repeated by 2011's champion, Dallas
Seavey. In 2007, Mackey became the first to win both the Yukon Quest and
the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, a feat he repeated the following year.
The longest race time was in 1988, when Ty Halvorson took 20 days, 8
hours, and 29 minutes to finish. In 2000, Aliy Zirkle became the first
woman to win the race, in 10 days, 22 hours, and 57 minutes. Yukon Quest
International, which runs the Yukon Quest sled dog race, also runs two
shorter races: the Junior Quest and the Yukon Quest 300 (previously the
Yukon Quest 250).

Yukon River Run - Pelly Crossing to Dawson City - Netflix

The stretch between Pelly Crossing and Dawson City is the greatest
distance between checkpoints of any sled dog competition in the world.
Between the two sites are 201 miles (323 km) of open trail, marked only
by a dog drop at Scroggie Creek, an abandoned gold-mining site activated
only during the Yukon Quest. From Pelly Crossing, mushers travel west on
the frozen Pelly River, or on a road that parallels the river if ice
conditions are poor. At Stepping Stone, shortly before the Pelly and
Yukon rivers meet, they can rest at a hospitality stop before turning
north. From Stepping Stone to Scroggie Creek the trail consists of a
mining road or “cat” road, named for the Caterpillar tracked mining
vehicles that use it. Before organizers coordinated schedules with the
mining equipment operators, racers often had to contend with heavy
machinery blocking the trail or turning it into a muddy path. The
Scroggie Creek dog drop is at the confluence of the Stewart River and
Scroggie Creek. After Scroggie Creek, the trail switches from a westerly
direction to almost directly north. At this point, mushers enter the
gold-mining district surrounding Dawson City. From the Stewart River
adjacent to Scroggie, the trail climbs, crossing the Yukon Territory's
Black Hills. Fifty miles (80 km) from Dawson City and 55 miles (89 km)
from Scroggie Creek, it crosses the Indian River, and mushers begin the
climb to King Solomon's Dome, the highest point (4,002 feet (1,220 m))
on the trail. The trail ascends more gradually in the
Whitehorse–Fairbanks route than in the opposite direction, where mushers
have to endure several switchbacks. When mushers start in Whitehorse,
they already have gained several thousand feet from the ascent into the
Black Hills, including a climb over 3,550-foot (1,082 m) Eureka Dome.
The main difficulties come during the descent from King Solomon's Dome
to Bonanza Creek, the epicenter of the Klondike Gold Rush. After
reaching the creek, mushers thread through an area of mining waste and
follow the Klondike River to Dawson City, the halfway point of the race.
They are required to rest for 36 hours in Dawson City as a halfway-rest.